How much does a lawsuit say the state lost in another pay-to-play scandal? What's in New Mexico's cocaine? How much water did the citizens of Albuquerque use in 2008? What has a manager at a Hyundai car dealership been accused of?

State senator partners with Working Classroom to chop legislators down to size

By Marisa Demarco

In the ancient tradition of making fun of politicians, Eric Griego and his communications director, Sharon Kayne, penned a script about the 2009 Legislature. Sen. Griego moonlights as a stand-up comic, and his view from the belly of the beast looking out sharpens this play's edge. No one escapes, not Republicans, not Democrats, not SunCal, not the deficit.

Legislators were rolling up their sleeves last week, ready to get elbow-deep in the greasy bill-making process of the 60-day huddle. It happens every other year and yields the most new laws for New Mexico. Before the session even began, plenty of measures were posted in advance. The Alibi will bore into the insides of the session and pick out the most interesting bits for you here every week. But first ...

Dateline: Serbia—An armed robber was arrested after he held up a bank—and then returned minutes later to pay off his overdraft fees with the money he had just acquired. The man ran into the Kredi Bank in the Serbian ski resort Nova Varos wearing a ski mask and brandishing a shotgun. He demanded tellers hand over all the cash they had. The man got away with more than nearly $50,000 in cash. Staff were still recovering from the shock when the man—minus the ski mask—walked back in to settle his overdraft. Sharp-eyed staff recognized the distinctive red tennis shoes he was wearing and called police. The man, aged 33, was arrested and charged with armed robbery.

[Re: Neverending Stories, “Local Nurse Brings the Medicinal Cannabis Fight to the Feds,” Jan. 15-21] The continuing denial of marijuana as a medicine exposes the utter fraud of drug prohibition. No sane person who does not make a living enforcing drug laws can deny that marijuana has "accepted medical use." Thousands of people with recommendations from doctors in 12 states is all the proof needed to put the lie to the drug crusader myth that "marijuana has no medical value."